Chris Anderson

While welding steel is routine, a growing number of companies, especially truck trailer manufacturers, are transitioning to the use of aluminum parts to meet customer demands for more efficient, lightweight vehicles. Finding success with robotic aluminum welding requires special considerations to maintain the welding operation.

A weld’s strength and durability are paramount. Cosmetics also are important, particularly on consumer products and many other visible welds. The ripple bead effect of GTAW often is preferred. Advancements in robotic welding have made it possible to achieve the GTAW look with the GMAW process, particularly on aluminum.

Finding good welders is a real issue for some fab shops, but so is the anxiety attached to integrating robotic welding to help fill the gaps. Pinpointing the appropriate skill set for robotic welding programmers is important to ensure you have the right person in place to run the machine. Industry also has stepped up to deliver systems that make robotic programming easier and faster for individuals who have limited programming training.

Thanks to intuitive teaching, which eliminates the need for highly skilled programmers and saves valuable job setup time, robots now are making inroads in small job shops.